Silver Cross Clic vs Cybex Libelle: Which Budget Stroller Wins? (2026)

The Silver Cross Clic and the Cybex Libelle are two of the more affordable strollers worth taking seriously. Neither pretends to be a luxury pushchair, and neither needs to be: you get a genuinely compact fold, a seat your toddler can nap in, and enough build quality to survive a summer of pavements and, for one of them, airports too. The question is which trade-offs suit your family better.

This isn't a case of one being cheap and the other being good. Both are competent, and both are popular options for parents who don't want to spend £400-plus on a Bugaboo Butterfly or similar premium travel stroller. We've put them side by side on fold, weight, comfort, and how they cope at the gate, including the one difference that matters most if you fly.

Specs at a Glance

The Cybex Libelle fits within most airlines' cabin baggage allowances, but the current Silver Cross Clic 2 does not, so you should assume it will need to be gate-checked or checked into the hold. Run both strollers through our stroller airline checker before you book, especially if you're flying with a budget airline.

Silver Cross Clic

Best for: families who want a stroller sturdy enough for daily errands and a genuine lie-flat seat from birth. The self-standing fold is a small thing that makes a genuine difference at bag drop, though bear in mind the current Clic 2 is not cabin approved, so if you fly you'll usually be gate-checking it. It comes with a rain cover and travel bag included, and a 3-year warranty.

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Cybex Libelle

Best for: parents who fly often and want a stroller that's actually cabin-sized for most airlines. It's lighter than the Clic, folds down to one of the smallest packages in this price bracket, and gives you a genuine shot at overhead-locker fit instead of gate-checking.

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Also Consider: Joie Pact and Bugaboo Butterfly

The Joie Pact is the true budget option here, at around £120, and comes with a rain cover and carry bag included as standard. Its lower maximum child weight (15kg, against 22kg for both the Clic and the Libelle) means it suits a shorter window of use, so it's worth reading our full Joie Pact vs Cybex Libelle comparison if budget and included extras matter most to you.

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If your budget can stretch further, the Bugaboo Butterfly is worth a look too, at around £435. That's noticeably more than either stroller here, but the recline, ride quality, and basket capacity are in a different league, and unlike the Clic 2, it folds within most airlines' cabin limits. Our Bugaboo Butterfly vs Silver Cross Clic guide covers whether that extra spend is worth it for your family.

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Fold Mechanism

The Clic's fold is one of its best features: it's a simple pull-and-fold action, and crucially it stands upright on its own once folded, so you can lean it against a wall at bag drop without it toppling into someone's ankles. The Libelle folds smaller overall, at just 32 × 20 × 48cm, which is genuinely one of the tightest packages in this price range, but it requires both hands to fold rather than a one-handed action, and it doesn't self-stand in the same reliable way, so you're often propping it against a trolley or holding it under one arm.

Weight and Portability

There's barely 300 grams between them (6.5kg for the Clic, 6.2kg for the Libelle), so neither has a meaningful edge on the scales. Where the Libelle pulls ahead is its folded footprint. If you're regularly carrying the stroller up stairs, onto buses, or through narrow train aisles, that slimmer 20cm depth is noticeable in a way the weight difference isn't. For a broader comparison of the lightest options on the market, see our lightest strollers UK guide.

Recline and Nap-Friendliness

This is where the Clic has a clear advantage. Its seat genuinely lies flat, which matters if your baby naps on the move or is young enough to need a fully reclined position, while the Libelle's recline stops at around 125 degrees and never gets properly flat. If daytime naps in the pushchair are a regular part of your routine, the Clic will serve you better, particularly with a younger baby who still needs to lie back.

Basket and Storage

Both baskets are rated at around 5kg capacity, though neither is generous, and the Libelle's basket is harder to get into thanks to its compact frame, so access matters as much as raw capacity here. Both are the kind of basket that holds a nappy bag and a cardigan comfortably but starts to feel tight the moment you add a shop or a picnic. If storage is a priority for you, it's worth checking our wider top cabin-friendly strollers guide, where some options offer noticeably more room.

Build Quality and Ride

The Clic feels the sturdier of the two on rougher pavements and cobbled streets, with a slightly more planted, less "toy-like" feel that reflects Silver Cross's history building prams for the UK market. The Libelle is built to a high standard for its price too, but it's more clearly optimised around folding small than around cushioning a bumpy ride, so it's happiest on smooth pavements, airport floors, and resort paths rather than country lanes.

Price and Value

The Clic typically costs around £295, while the Libelle usually runs around £230, so there's a real gap between them this time, not the near-tie you sometimes see with budget strollers. The Clic's price includes a rain cover and travel bag as standard, plus a 3-year warranty, which softens the difference somewhat. Even so, the Libelle is the cheaper stroller and the one that's actually built to fit in the cabin, so if air travel is a big part of why you're buying, it's the better value pick for that job specifically. If your main use is everyday pram duty with occasional flights, the Clic's extra spend buys you a lie-flat seat and included accessories, but budget for gate-checking it at the airport.

Airline Compatibility

This is the clearest difference between the two, and it's worth reading carefully if you fly with any regularity. The Cybex Libelle is genuinely cabin-sized and generally satisfies the size limits used by easyJet, Ryanair, and British Airways when folded. The current Silver Cross Clic 2, however, is not IATA cabin approved, confirmed on Silver Cross's own website, even though the earlier original Clic was. In practice that means most airlines will expect you to gate-check the Clic 2 or check it into the hold rather than stow it in the cabin.

If you fly several times a year and want the best chance of keeping your stroller with you through the airport, the Libelle is the stronger choice for that specific job. Before you fly with either stroller, check current policy using our stroller airline checker, and if you do buy the Clic 2, plan on gate-checking it as standard rather than a fallback.

Choose the Silver Cross Clic if…

• You want one stroller that works as your everyday pram, not just for travel
• Your baby naps in the pushchair and you need a genuine lie-flat recline
• You'd rather the fold stood up on its own at bag drop or on a train platform
• You want the sturdier, more planted ride on uneven pavements
• Newborn use from day one matters to you
• You're happy to gate-check the stroller when you fly, since the Clic 2 is not cabin approved

Choose the Cybex Libelle if…

• You fly often and want a stroller that's actually cabin-sized rather than one you'll be gate-checking
• You want the slimmest possible folded package for security queues and overhead lockers
• Your baby is past six months and doesn't need a flat recline
• You're usually on smooth pavements, airport floors, or resort paths rather than rough terrain
• You're comfortable with a two-handed fold rather than a one-handed action

Our Verdict

For everyday use as your main pram, the Silver Cross Clic edges it. The genuine lie-flat recline, sturdier ride, self-standing fold, and included rain cover and travel bag make it the more versatile stroller if this is going to double as your day-to-day pushchair rather than just a travel piece. But for air travel specifically, the Cybex Libelle is the clear winner: it's the one that's actually cabin-sized for most airlines, while the current Clic 2 is not IATA cabin approved and will typically need to be gate-checked. If flying is the main reason you're buying, choose the Libelle. If you want one stroller for daily life and don't mind checking it in at the airport, the Clic is worth the extra spend. For further options at every budget, see our best travel stroller review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper: Silver Cross Clic or Cybex Libelle?

The Cybex Libelle is the cheaper of the two, typically around £230 against the Silver Cross Clic's around £295. The Clic's higher price does include a rain cover and travel bag as standard, plus a 3-year warranty, which the Libelle doesn't include.

Are both cabin approved on easyJet?

No. The Cybex Libelle is cabin-sized for most airlines, including easyJet, when folded. The current Silver Cross Clic 2, however, is not IATA cabin approved, confirmed on Silver Cross's own website, so you should expect to gate-check it rather than take it into the cabin. Policies and enforcement can change, so check current allowances with our stroller airline checker before you travel.

Which is better for a toddler?

The Silver Cross Clic is the stronger choice for an older baby or toddler thanks to its sturdier ride and genuine lie-flat recline for naps. The Cybex Libelle works well for a toddler who no longer needs a flat recline and is happiest on smooth surfaces like pavements and airport floors. Both have the same 22kg maximum child weight, so neither has an edge on longevity.

Can either be used from birth?

The Silver Cross Clic can be used from birth thanks to its lie-flat seat. The Cybex Libelle is best used from around six months; it can be used earlier only with a car seat adapter, as its own seat doesn't recline flat enough for a newborn.

Which has a better basket?

Both are rated at around 5kg, so there's little difference in raw capacity, though the Libelle's basket is fiddlier to reach into thanks to its compact frame. Neither is spacious, so if storage is a priority, you may want to compare both against the wider options in our top cabin-friendly strollers guide.

What's the maximum child weight for each?

Both the Silver Cross Clic and the Cybex Libelle have a maximum child weight of 22kg, so there's no difference between them on how long your child can use the stroller for.